Combined blower/vacuums are commonly used in lawn care and maintenance. These combined blower/vacuums allow an operator to switch operations between a blower for blowing leaves, cut grass, or other debris and a vacuum which can suck up the leaves, cut grass, or other debris. Typical blower/vacuums usually require a single component attachable to a base having a power source located therewithin. One method allows an operator to switch between blowing and vacuuming functions by detaching the component(s) associated with one operation and affixing the components associated with the other. The design of the components makes the method for switching between functions very cumbersome and difficult for the operator. Another method incorporates both the blower nozzle and vacuum tube combined in a single tool. This combined component is often cumbersome and weighty which causes an operator to tire more easily. The combined component also requires the operator to carry the additional inactive component during operation of the other.
Combined blower/vacuums typically includes a single fan that rotates within a housing. In the combined blower nozzle with a vacuum tube design, a switch or other mechanism operates a diverter that diverts the air flow within the housing through either a first port for the blowing operation or a second port for the vacuum operation (in which air is drawn from the first port). The use of a single fan within a housing in which the flow is diverted depending upon the user-selected operation often leads to inefficiencies in the pressure of the air flow in either or both operations, particularly if the direction of air flow is turned by the diverter.